Decisions loom for Yankee free agents
After two straight years of having their season end in the playoffs at the hands of the eventual World Series winner, the Yankees watched the Nationals end that streak by beating the Astros in Game 7 on Wednesday night.
The Yankees’ focus is now on 2020, and after they held their organizational meetings this week, they can begin to move ahead with their offseason.
Thursday opened the fiveday window in which free agents can talk only with the team they finished the season with, and a long-shot reunion with Houston now seems out of the question for Astros starter Gerrit Cole.
The Yankees’ ties with Cole have been well-chronicled, from drafting him out of high school to attempting to trade for him two years ago. However, just last offseason, signs seemed to point to Patrick Corbin landing in The Bronx because he grew up a Yankees fan, and few saw the Nationals blowing away all other offers to sign the lefthander.
Though Cole will be a focus of the Yankees’ offseason, they have plenty of other decisions to make.
Aroldis Chapman has three days to opt out of the final two years of his contract. He declined to comment on the situation last week, but many believe the closer will opt out coming off an excellent season — despite having allowed the season-ending home run in Houston to Jose Altuve in Game 6 of the ALCS.
Chapman would likely get at least an extra year tacked on to the two years and $30 million he’s owed.
On Thursday, the Yankees declined Edwin Encarnacion’s $20 million option. He was due a $5 million buyout.
Beginning on Monday, teams can make qualifying offers. The only potential candidate the Yankees have is Didi Gregorius, and it’s no sure thing he gets one. Gregorius will turn 30 in February and is coming off a disappointing season in which he put up his worst numbers since 2015.
Gregorius would have until Nov. 14 to accept or decline the qualifying offer and could hit the open market just over a year removed from Tommy John surgery. He might still end up back with the Yankees, whose only other option at shortstop — barring a trade or free-agent signing — is Gleyber Torres.
Brett Gardner, Dellin Betances and Austin Romine — all longtime Yankees — are also due to hit free agency.
Gardner could come back, especially in the wake of Aaron Hicks being lost for at least part of next season following his Tommy John surgery on Wednesday.
Betances is coming off a nightmarish, injury-plagued season. He was sidelined for almost the entire year by a shoulder impingement, followed by a strained lat. And when he finally did return in September, he suffered an Achilles tendon injury on the mound during his lone appearance of the season.
Romine has been a valuable backup to Gary Sanchez, but could get a better deal elsewhere. The Yankees could decide to go with Kyle Higashioka as their second catcher.
The Yankees won’t just be looking at Cole in free agency, if they want to upgrade their rotation. HyunJin Ryu, Zack Wheeler and Madison Bumgarner are other free-agent possibilities. Washington’s World Series MVP, Stephen Strasburg, would join them if he opts out of his contract.
General manager Brian Cashman said during his season-ending press conference he didn’t believe pitching cost the Yankees in the postseason — before firing longtime pitching coach Larry Rothschild. So could Anthony Rendon be worth a look at third base as a replacement for either Miguel Andujar or Gio Urshela?
It could depend on how much they want to spend this winter. Corbin helped Washington to a World Series, while the other two main free agents from last offseason, Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, didn’t sniff the playoffs.
The Yankees made their first roster move of the offseason when they declined their $20 million option on Edwin Encarnacion for 2020.
He is due a $5 million buyout and will become a free agent. Encarnacion was acquired by the injury-ravaged Yankees from the Mariners in June and was frequently a righthanded force in the lineup. But he suffered a pair of significant injuries — a fractured right wrist and a strained oblique — that sidelined him for chunks of time.
Though Encarnacion hit 13 homers in 44 regular-season games with the Yankees, he disappeared during their ALCS loss to Houston, when he went 1-for-18 with 11 strikeouts. Encarnacion, 36, was ineffective enough the Yankees went to the hobbled Giancarlo Stanton for Game 5 of the series.
The Yankees also announced Thursday that Aaron Hicks’ Tommy John surgery went “as expected” on Wednesday in California. Hicks will likely be out at least until June.